Apparatus for withdrawing moisture by suction



March 16 1926. 1,576,679

H. C. SMITH APPARATUS FOR WITHDRAWING MOISTURE BY SUCTION Filed March 14, 1924- 2 Sheets-'Sheet l 16 11:1- 9 c i5 16 E 5 g y E71. f

March 16 1926.

H. c. SMITH APPARATUS FOR WITHDRAWING MOISTURE BY SUCTION Filed March 14, 1924 ZSheetS-Sheetz Patented Mar. 1s, 192s.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY C. SMITH, OF ARLINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGN'OR T BLAKE ELECTRIC MFG. C0., OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

APPARATUS FOR WITHDRAWING MOISTURE EY SUCTION.

Application led March 14, 1924, Serial No. 699,390.

T all 'I0/10m it may concern.'

Be it known that I, HARRY. C. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residin 'at Arlington, in the county of Middlesex, tate of Massachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatusfor IVithdrawing Moisture by Suction, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My improvement in apparatus for withdrawing moisture by suction from materials charged .therewith has reference, more particularly, to those apparatuses of various forms and construction which admit of being sub-classified as suction boxes. These particular apparatuses in some instance are employed or adapted for withdrawing moisture by suction from traveling aprons, which may or may not be endless, that are themselves charged with moisture or else carry moisture-laden material. In others they are employed for withdrawing moisture from traveling continuous webs of cloth which V have become more or less completely impregn-ated o r saturated with liquid, as oecurs in various preparing andV finishing processes. Apparatuses of the sub-class in question comprise a body, in some cases a rotating body and in others a non-rot-ating body, from the interior of which air is withdrawn, and one or a plurality of air inlets which may be termed suction mouths, close to which the web travels and inw-ard through which air flows, taking with it moisture abstracted from the web or from its load of material.

The invention consists in automatically adjustable closure devices by which the suction mouth or mouths of a suction box is or are closed so as ,to prevent inflow of air at points outside the margins ot a traveling web, so as to ensure that all of the air flowing into the suction box shall pass through the traveling web. The automatic adjustment compensates for and accommodates the* edgewise lateral swaying of a traveling web that occurs in general practice; The invention provides closure devices for the end portions of a suction box which are self adjusting under the control of a travelingweb so as to conform with the positions of the web margins laterally.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which latter,-

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of web handling apparatus having the said embodiment combined therewith.

Fig. 2 is a view in section on line 2,2, of Fig. 1, showing more particularly features of the said embodiment.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the said apparatus, etc., on a smaller scale than Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is a view in section on line 4, 4, of Fig. 3, on the said smaller scale. v

Figs. 5 and 6 are isometric views on an enlarged scale of details l hereinafter explained.

In the drawings a suction box having the said illustrative embodiment of the invention combined therewith is shown associated with a tank 1, Figs. 1 and 2, containing liquid 2, Fig. 1, through which a continuous web 3 of cloth is caused to pass lengthwise. A guide-roll 4 is shown located at one end of the liquid-containing space, mounted 'y above the level of the liquid, so that the web in beingdrawn over said roll is raised out of the liquid. The said suction box is shown at 5, located adjacent the guide-rol1 4 so that the web, after leaving the guideroll passes over the top of the suction box. At 6, 7, are squeezing and feeding rolls by which the web is drawn through the apparatus and delivered therefrom.

The suction box in this instance is of a well-known form comprising -a non-rotating hollow body, with` closed ends, having its length disposed transversely relative to the path of the traveling web, the' said body having in its top a longitudinal slot, 51, Figs. 1, 3 and 4, constituting -a narrow elongated suction mouth, and the body being formed-at its under side with a tubular neck, 52, Fig. 4, which is connected with a duct 11 extending to suitable air-withdrawing means (not shown).

Speaking in general terms with reference to the mode of operation of a suction box, a

2 I l i mouth or respective mouths. See Fig. 1 for illustration thereof. As the webr travels past the suction mouth or mouths, the air which goes through the interstices of the web in entering the suction box by way of the said mouth or mouths carries with it moisture abstracted from the yweb, leaving the latter materially reduced in moisturecontent.

` Ordinarily `the length of the suction mouthv of a suction box, or of the series of suction mouths in the case of a suction box having a plurality of suction mouths or inlets in the length thereof, exceeds the width of a web that is operated upon. This is illustrated by Figs. 3 and A4c. This is part'- ly in order to accommodate the tendency of .a traveling web to work edgewise, transversely of the path in'which it travels, and partly because often a given web which is being operated uponis less in width than the maximum width which the suction box is capable of accommodating. The excess in the length ofthe suction mouth lessens the effectiveness of thesuction box unless the infiow of air into the suction box at points beyond the web margins is prevented. That is vto say, in operation, whenl an unclosed opening leading to the interior of a suctionl box exists'beyond one or each of the margins of a web, the amount of air passing through the web is reduced lby reason of the inflow of air through such opening or open- Cil ings, and thereby the eiectiveness of the suction box in extracting moisture from the web is reduced.v It has been proposed to employ suction mouth closures at the opposite ends of a suction box, to avoid or reduce this loss of effectiveness. Heretoforel inI practice` such closures have been placed or adjusted by hand, in all cases known to me. Satisfactory results have not been attained heretofore, however, in practice. In the case of closures placed and adjusted by hand the dut of placing and adjusting the closures is lia le to be forgotten or neglected. Thron h Jinattention or mistake of judo'- ment t e closures are liable t o be improper y positioned. It is inconvenient to pay the close attention and make the frequent shifts that are called for by the tendency of the traveling web to work edgewise, transversely of its ath in passing the suction box, and to sway ack and forth edgewise.

In carrying the invention into eiect 4I combine with end closures for a suction box novel means for automatically adjusting such end closures under the control of the web margins, properly coordinated to maintain such closures in near proximity to such 'margins whether the web is wide or narrow and also so as to cause the end closures respectively to accom any the respective'web margins in all the ateral shifts of the web is made fast at a fixed point, in the drawings for convenience by means of a clamping band 13 which embraces the said extremity and the suction box body, with the ends of the band, located beneath the said body, drawn toward each other bymeans of a screw 14, Figs. 1 and 2, to'. ytighten the band to clasp the extremity in question against the suction box body. Each strip extends inward over que of the endeportions of the suction mouth along the suction box body, from the point of attachment of the strip thereto to the adjacent .margin of the traveling web, and so long as suction continues the strip is held thereby in close contact with the lips of the suction mouth, thereby closing the portionof the said mouth which the strip overlies. The inner end portion of the strip is Wrapped around a roll 15, to which the extremity of such end 'portion is attached. The'rbllis journalled on a carriage 16 constituted by an arm having an eye 1 61 fitting arod 17 which extends from one side of the apparatus to the middle of the width of the latter, such rod being mounted at its ends in bearings at 18 and 19 in connection with fixed stands, one at such side of the apparatus and the other at mid-width thereof. The roll rests upon the strip beneath it by gravity, aided if required by the tension of a spring (not shown) applied to the carriage or arm, and thereby contributes to keeping the strip close tothe lips of the suction mouth. lVhen the carriage or arm is moved toward the middle of the apparatus a portion of strip Ycorresponding in length with the extent of the inward movement unwraps from the roll and is laid against the said lips; when the carriage or arm is moved toward the corresponding side of the apparatus the roll is rotated through contact at its periphery with that portion of carriages are internally threaded -for en gagement with the threads of the rods, so that rotation of the respective rods operates to .produce shifting movements of the respective carriages. Also, the rods have combined with them means for 'rot-ating them automatically, comprising reversible electric motors 202 each having the shaft 201 .of vthe rotor Athereot1 connected hby gearing 20, 2l, with one of the rods. To provide for rotating the rotor of the corresponding electric motor under control of the corresponding` web margin,.I employ a feeler 22 which is attached to a feeler-head 221, Fig. 6, that b A241, Fig. 6, within which the' -feeler blade works and is guided. With the feeler is associated a switch device comprising a, terminal linger 25', Fig. A6, that is'fastened to the head portion of the feeler, with suitable provision 26 for insulating said finger from the said head portion, the said finger being arranged to play between two fixed switch terminals 27 and 28 'which are provided uponthe carriage. The switch linger and .the two fixed switch terminals are .respectively'connected by wiring 29, Figs. 2 and 6,

(omitted from other views) with the correspondingelectric, motor Aso that when the adjacent web margin sways inwardly, with resulting contact of the inger withthe lower t .switchl terminal. rotation' of.v the -motor in one directonis brought about tocause the carriage 16 to travel: inwardly,- lkeeping the suctionmouth'closed as far as the recedingY web margin, and until Ithe 'feeler in beingcontrolled bythe web margin is caused to assumea position in which the lingeris in- '1 termediate thejtwo switch terminals. .Con-

versely, .when the web marginA sways out- Wardly, pressing the eeler outward so as to 'raise the finger 25 intoi Contact with the upper I ixed terminal 27,;the motcr is energized to'rotatel in the opposite direction and therevby move the carriage outward to uncover the portion of the suction mouth overwhich the web margin now extends. The automatic adjustments,` at either side of the apparatus are effected independently of thosev ,at the opposite side.

The features of the invention are capable of being embodied in various forms, and the arrangement may be varied; It is within the l scope ofthe invention-to` applyA the. saidfeatures in connection with various forms of suction boxes. l

As will be apparent, .the mechanism by which the respective end closures are shifted along thev suction box may be caused to -act at will, independently of the web margins, through manipulation of the switch devices by hand.

What is .claimed as the invention is :-v

` v1'. The combination with a suction-box i and an end-closure, of a screw-threaded ad Vand feeler-means controlled by the opposite margins of said web and operatively controlling said rotating means `to e'iiectuate adjustments vof the end-closures.

The combination with a suction-box and end-closures at lopposite sides ot the path of a web traveling pastv said suctionbox, of screw-threaded adjusting means by rotation of which the end-closures are adjustable independently of each other lengthwise of the suction-box, means for reversibly rotating said adjusting means, and means controlled by the opposite margins of said web and operatively cont-rolling said rotating means to eiiectuate independent adjustments of the respective end-closures.

4. The combination with a suction-box and van end-closure, of screw-threaded adjusting means by rotation of which the endsuction-box, reversible electric motor drivingA means/for reversibly rotating said adjusting means, and switch devices controlled by the opposite margin of said web and operatively controlling said driving means to eectuate independent adjustments of the respective end-closures. y

6. The 'combination with a suction-box and an end-closure, ot a reversible electric motor, means actuated by said motor for adjusting the end-closure, and a switchdevice controlled by a margin of a web traveling past saidsuction-box and operatively controlling said motor to determine time and direction of adjustment of the endclosure.

7. The combination with a suction-box and an end-closure, of two reversible electric motors, end-closure adjusting means intermediate the respective motors and the respective end-closures, and switch-devices controlled by the respective margins of a web traveling past said suction-box and operatively controlling the respective motors to effectuate independent adjustments of the respective end-closures.

8. The combination with a suction box.

and an end closure therefor, of adjusting means and an actuating electric motor'oper' atively combined with said end closure, and a switch device controlled by a margin of a traveling web that is operated upon by the suction box and itself controlling the actuation of. thefadjusting means bythe electric motor soas to keep the suction mouth. closed bv theV end closure in proper relation to the said web margin in the various positions assumed by the latter.

9. The combination with a suction box and opposite end closures therefor, of electric-motor-driven adjusting means operlatively combined .with the respective end closures, and switch devices respectively controlled by the respective margins of a traveling` web that is operated upon by the suction box, and controlling the adjustment of the end closures to keep the suction mouth closed by each thereof in proper relation to the corresponding web margin.

l0. The combination with a suction box and opposite end closures therefor, of adjusting means and a'n actuating electric motor therefor for each end closure, .and switch devices respectively controlled by the respective margins of a traveling web that is operated upon by the suction box, and controlling the electric motors to adjust independently the respective end closures so as to keep the suction mouth closed in proper relation to the corresponding web mar ins.

11,. The combination with a suction ox, of an end closure for the suction mouth comprising a flexible strip overlying such mouth, a roll resting against the strip and having one endportion of the strip wrapped around the same, and amounting for said roll adjustable lengthwise of the suction box, said closure strip Winding upon`v and unwinding from the roll as the mounting and roll are adjusted inward and outward.

12. The combination with a suction box, of an end closure 'for the suction mouth comprising a flexible closure strip, a roll resting against the strip and having one endv portion of the lstrip wrapped around the same,

a swinging arm on which said roll is jour-- Analled, and a screw-'threaded adjustment rod extending lengthwise ofthe suction box, on which the arm is mounted to swing, .with thearm engaged by the thread of the `rod.

l `HARRY c. SMITH. 

